After the Frabjous Day
by MyraValhallah
Summary: AU-ish.  Alice didn't leave on the Frabjous day but the Hatter seems to be distancing himself from her...  Read and find out what happens.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

"Frabjous Day!" the Hatter exclaimed, joyfully. "Calloo Callay!"

Alice watched in curious amusement as he doffed his hat and launched into the single most fascinating dance the young Londoner had ever seen. But then she had only ever danced the Quadrille so many of the dances of her own world would look odd to her. Her friends were all stood watching the Hatter dance with smiles of joy and amusement.

"What is he doing?" the Champion asked Chess, who had just appeared by her left shoulder, as she gave in to her urge to stroke him.

"Futterwacken" he purred and evaporated.

Alice suddenly felt as if she were being watched and she looked into the Hatter's huge green eyes as he replaced his hat. He smiled at her.

She felt her cheeks heating up and smiled back.

"Alice" Queen Mirana glided over to her, holding out a vial of purple liquid- the blood of the Jabberwocky. "The people of Underland are eternally in your debt- this is for you"

Alice looked at the vial. "Will this take me home?"

"If that is what you wish" Mirana's voice was tinted with sadness- did she want Alice to stay?

She lifted the vial to her lips and was just about to swallow when the Hatter's voice lisped.

"You could stay, you know?"

Alice looked up into his hopeful emerald eyes.

"What an idea; a wonderful, mad, idea…" she looked down at the vial and flipped the cap shut and took the hand which the Hatter offered her and his smile grew at her next statement. "All the best ideas are"


	2. One

_**One**_

After returning the Vial of Jabberwocky blood to Mirana, for safe keeping, Alice returned to her room- it was a beautiful room; despite the lack of colour. Larger than her room back in London with a thick carpet that she just had to wriggle her toes in. The four poster bed had grey velvet hangings and white silk and satin sheets. The fire place was white marble and, as it was summer- the great was host to a small pile of silver sticks and twigs.

A knock startled her and she turned to the door, which she had left open, to find Tarrant standing on the other side of the thresh hold; hat nowhere in sight though Alice suspected that it was in his hands, which were behind his back.

"Hatter" she smiled

"Alice" he returned. "Will you take a w-walk with me?"

She opened her mouth to reply but he cut her off.

"You don't have to… that is if you don't want to- I mean it is late and you've had a long day and you'll need your sleep after fighting the Jabberwocky…"

"Hatter" Alice laughed, his rambles were adorable

"I'm fine" he bit his lip. "Thank you"

"I'd love to take a walk with you" she looked down at her armour. "Just give me a moment to slip into something more comfortable"

She turned round before she could see Tarrant's colour rise at her comment.

* * *

"Why did you decide to stay?" Tarrant asked shyly, as they walked through the gardens.

_He couldn't help but stare at her when she'd appeared from behind the dressing screen dressed in a white and silver dress reminiscent of the very one he'd made her when she'd been hidden in his teapot. Her hair was pulled away from her temples in a pair of tiny plaits which went round the back of her head. Her arm was adorned with a white scarf in the very place the Bandersnatch had scratched her; the outfit was completed by a pair of white dancing slippers with silver ribbons tied around her ankles._

"Absolem made me see that I wasn't dreaming this whole world up at all." Alice admitted an apologetic smile on her lips.

"I did tell you that you'd have to be half mad to dream me up" Tarrant teased. "But you were still going to leave- what really made you change your mind?"

"Right before I fell down the rabbit hole I was proposed to" she rubbed her arms to keep the coolness of the evening away- Tarrant swept his coat off and gallantly draped it over her shoulders- stepping away half a step. "I didn't want to be tied down. I didn't want to be _Lady Alice Ascot_"

A loud yawn broke from her lips, and she leaned into the Hatter as exhaustion washed over her.

"I shall take you back to your room" he told her softly, wrapping one arm around her waist to support the half asleep Alice as they re-entered Marmoreal.

* * *

She clearly didn't have the energy to get into her night gown. Tarrant had had to carry her up the last flight of stairs to her bedroom and she was practically asleep by the time they reached her door.

"Ken ye git teh yer bed, hen?" he asked softly.

She mumbled something unintelligible; shaking her head slowly against his chest. This left Tarrant in something of a pickle- he was a gentleman, and a gentleman never enters a lady's room without invitation.

"Bed" Alice whimpered sounding a little like Thackeray to his ears

'_Is that an invitation?'_ He wondered but decided to take it as one anyway and carried her to her bed.

He made to draw away from her after laying her on the covers, but as he moved Alice made a noise of protest and snuggled closer.

The Mad Hatter sighed. It was fairly obvious that he was going nowhere for a while.


End file.
